Chapel Choir

The Duke Chapel Choir is the largest and most visible music group in the Chapel. Made up of auditioned Duke students and members of the Durham community, the Chapel Choir is a regular part of worship on Sundays throughout the academic year. The choir also presents Handel’s Messiah each December, and another major work in the spring. Led by Rodney Wynkoop, Director of Chapel Music, the 100+ member choir is one of the largest and most celebrated of its kind in the country.

Watch a video about the choir:

The Chapel Choir, along with the Schola Cantorum, sings anthems and leads the congregation in hymns in the Sunday worship services and various other Chapel services. It also presents two major concerts with professional orchestra each year. The choir’s annual performances of Handel’s Messiah, a tradition since 1932, pack the Chapel each December. The Spring Oratorio concerts feature other major choral works, from Bach to modern masterpieces.

The Chapel Choir has performed at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and Washington National Cathedral. It has also toured internationally in Poland, the Czech Republic, China, Spain, Austria, Greece, Turkey, as well as a tour of England that culminated in a performance of Handel’s Messiah at London’s St. Martin-in-the-Fields, with members of the English Festival Orchestra.

In addition to its critically praised performances of Messiah, the Chapel Choir has performed many other major choral works with professional orchestra. In recent seasons, its repertoire has included:

MacMillan's St. Luke Passion

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion

Duruflé’s Requiem

Lauridsen’s Lux Æterna

Fanshawe’s African Sanctus

Mozart’s Requiem

Tchaikovsky’s Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Poulenc’s Gloria

Vaughan Williams’ Dona nobis pacem.

The Schola Cantorum, a 36-voice chamber choir from within the Chapel Choir, sings occasional anthems in the Sunday services. Rehearsals are scheduled as needed, and the repertoire consists largely of Renaissance motets.

Summer Choir

Duke Chapel welcomes singers to its Summer Choir, which assists in leading worship over the summer months. It is a community choir open to all who wish to attend. This year’s Summer Choir date is Sunday, July 23. The rehearsal will be held at 9:15 a.m. the morning of, and afterwards, you are welcome to find a robe to wear from our extras. Call 684-3898 or email Chapelmusic@duke.edu for more details.